Viewing Guide—The Big Lebowski (1998)
Director—Joel CoenWriters—Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast
Jeff Bridges / ... / Jeffrey Lebowski - The DudeJohn Goodman / ... / Walter Sobchak
Julianne Moore / ... / Maude Lebowski
Steve Buscemi / ... / Theodore Donald 'Donny' Kerabatsos
David Huddleston / ... / Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski
Philip Seymour Hoffman / ... / Brandt
Tara Reid / ... / Bunny Lebowski
Philip Moon / ... / Woo, Treehorn Thug
Mark Pellegrino / ... / Blond Treehorn Thug
Peter Stormare / ... / Nihilist #1, Uli Kunkel / 'Karl Hungus'
Flea / ... / Nihilist #2, Kieffer
Torsten Voges / ... / Nihilist #3, Franz
Jimmie Dale Gilmore / ... / Smokey
Jack Kehler / ... / Marty
John Turturro / ... / Jesus Quintana
Satirical Questions to Ponder-- Address at least one of these each day in reflection.
- Stranger calls The Dude “a man for his time and place.” What do you think he means by that? Is The Stranger’s assessment of The Dude correct?
- This film wasn’t especially popular when it was first released in theatres. It has since gained an almost cult-like following among viewers who first saw it as a second-run or on video. What explanation can you give for this kind of rise to popularity?
- How does this film criticize different elements of American life? Think about social, political, pop cultural aspects of our society that are addressed in this film and what the messages are. Consider also what this film has in common with other readings or films we have covered this semester.
- How does this film conform to the conventions of Classical Comedy? How does this film also twist those same conventions?
Exam Quotes—10 of the quotesbelow will appear on your final exam. You should note speaker, context and satirical devices used in the line (in context) and any ideas about the line’s significance for later use.They are in order of appearance in the film—more or less. They will NOT appear in order on the exam.
1. Ionly mention it because sometimes there's a man... I won't say a hero, 'cause, what's a hero? Sometimes, there's a man. And I'm talkin' about the Dude here - the Dude from Los Angeles. Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that's the Dude. The Dude, from Los Angeles. And even if he's a lazy man - and the Dude was most certainly that. Quite possibly the laziest in all of Los AngelesCounty, which would place him high in the runnin' for laziest worldwide. Sometimes there's a man, sometimes, there's a man. Well, I lost my train of thought here.
2. Obviously you're not a golfer.
3. The chinaman is not the issue here, Dude. I'm talking about drawing a line in the sand, Dude. Across this line, you DO NOT... Also, Dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.
4. That rug really tied the room together
5. Your revolution is over, Mr. Lebowski. The bums lost! Condolences.
6. F***in' Quintana... that creep can roll, man.
Yeah, but he's a pervert, Dude.
Yeah.
No, he's a sex offender. With a record. He served 6 months in Chino for exposing himself to an eight year old.
7. Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.
8. Saturday, Donny, is Shabbos, the Jewish day of rest. That means that I don't work, I don't get in a car, I don't f***ing ride in a car, I don't pick up the phone, I don't turn on the oven, and I sure as s*** don't f***ing roll! Shomer shabbos!
9. Your wheel! At fifteen m-p-h I roll out! I double back, grab one of 'em and beat it out of him! The uzi!
Uzi?
You didn't think I was rolling out of here naked!
10. I'll tell you what I'm blathering about... I've got information man! New s*** has come to light! And shit... man, she kidnapped herself. Well sure, man. Look at it... a young trophy wife, in the parlance of our times, you know, and she, uh, uh, owes money all over town, including to known pornographers, and that's cool... that's, that's cool, I'm, I'm saying, she needs money, man. And of course they're going to say that they didn't get it, because... she wants more, man! She's got to feed the monkey, I mean uh... hasn't that ever occurred to you, man? Sir?
11. You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.
12. Three thousand years of beautiful tradition, from Moses to Sandy Koufax... You're g*****n right I'm living in the f***ing past!
13. She's not my special lady, she's my f***ing lady friend. I'm just helping her conceive, man!
14. Are these the Nazis, Walter?
No, Donny, these men are nihilists. There's nothing to be afraid of.
15. Just because we’re bereaved, it doesn’t make us SAPS!
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